Do dentists recommend using an ultrasonic cleaner for dentures? (2024) - Dr. Charlie Cage

Dr. Charlie Cage: Video Summary

Dr. Charlie Cage: Yes, you can safely and effectively clean your dentures and false teeth with the Dental pod.

Click here to order your Dental pod now for sparkling clean dentures!

Dr. Cage, what experience do you have?

My name is Charlie Cage and I am a dentist who graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2012 with a DDS and from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2022 with a MS in Operative Dentistry and biomaterials.

As an active duty officer, I love providing dental care to some of the hardest working individuals in the United States. I am proud to continue to serve for over 13 years now.

Click here to check out my blog!

Do I really need to clean my dentures?

Plaque, tartar, viruses, and bacteria can colonize your dentures very quickly, making them difficult to clean if care isn’t taken.

Wearing dirty dentures can cause serious diseases like respiratory problems, heart disease, and aspiration pneumonia especially in immunocompromised patients.

Also, your dentures can get dirty and a stench can develop if you choose not to clean them regularly, making them really unpleasant for you to wear and for others to bare.

What are ultrasonic denture cleaners?

The Dental pod is an ultrasonic denture cleaner.

An ultrasonic cleaner is a vibrating water bath.

The Dental pod uses high-frequency 42,000 Hz ultrasonic waves to vibrate a cleaning solution and produce millions of nano-scale bubbles.

The intense vibrations and millions of bubbles deep clean your dentures at a microscopic level.

Is an ultrasonic denture cleaner necessary?

Studies using microscopes to look at dentures have found that traditional methods, such as brushing, fail to remove most microorganisms and debris.

Debris and microorganisms are found in the rough surfaces of your dentures which are hard to clean with traditional methods.

The Dental pod is able to deep clean these hard-to-reach areas of your dentures.

Do ultrasonic denture cleaners actually work?

The British Dental Journal stated that the Dental pod is a convenient way to deep clean oral appliances.

Research has found that ultrasonic denture cleaners provided better results than traditional cleaning methods including brushing and soaking with a chemical solution. 

Ultrasonic and chemical cleaning are very different.

Your denture can benefit from performing both types of cleaning. 

That is why I suggest using sterilizing tablets with the Dental pod.

Is it safe to clean my dentures with an ultrasonic cleaner?

• Will ultrasonic cleaners damage my dentures?

The continued use of an ultrasonic cleaner with your dentures does not cause significant damage over time. Any wear that takes place is minor and randomly distributed across your dentures. If concerned about wear, I'd suggest cleaning your dentures individually, to reduce any potential rubbing.

• Will the temperature of the water in an ultrasonic cleaner damage my dentures?

Elevated temperatures can distort denture plastics. 

A study that looked at the effects of water temperature on soft denture linings (silicone-based, both permanent and temporary) found that water above 80°C caused discoloration and surface roughness.

For the Dental pod, you only need room-temperature water to clean your dentures. As a result, you should expect no damage.

Are ultrasonic cleaners safe for my type of dentures?

The Zima Dental team have tested the following types of denture to make sure they can be safely and effectively cleaned:

How do ultrasonic denture cleaners clean my dentures?

Ultrasonic cleaners generate high-frequency vibrations. Vibrations clean your dentures in two ways:

1. The liquid is forced against the surface of your dentures when vibrating, deep cleaning the appliance. 

2. Tiny bubbles formed by the intense vibration of the cleaner rapidly expand and collapse, releasing a large amount of energy, continuously scouring and smashing the grime, bacteria and plaque while being non-abrasive to your dentures.

In the Dental pod, the 2nd action (called ‘cavitation’) occurs on average 4000 times per second. All surfaces and gaps of your dentures are continuously cleaned in a short but thorough cleaning cycle.

Is it easy to clean my dentures with an ultrasonic cleaner? 

There are only 4 simple steps to clean your dentures with an ultrasonic cleaner:

• Fill the Dental pod with water and add a sterilizing tablet

Fill the Dental pod with room temperature water and plug it into a wall socket.

Drop in a sterilizing tablet to increase the cleaning effect. 

• Place your dentures in the water

Drop your dentures into the water in the Dental pod.

Your dentures must be fully submerged in the liquid to receive the full effects of ultrasonic cleaning.

• Turn on the Dental pod

Put the lid on the Dental pod, turn the machine on and let it run for 5 minutes.

Studies have shown that 5 minutes is the perfect amount of time to leave your dentures in the cleaner.

• Retrieve your clean dentures from the Dental pod

Your dentures will now be sparkling clean!

Can I use hydrogen peroxide to clean my dentures?

Studies have shown that using an ultrasonic cleaner with hydrogen peroxide is more effective than brushing your dentures.

With the Dental pod, I recommend using our sterilizing tablets instead of peroxides. 

Studies have shown that hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive substance which can damage both soft and hard oral tissues when used incorrectly. Additionally, there is some evidence that peroxides can damage ultrasonic cleaner components. 

I hope that you’re now more confident about taking care of your dentures. If you need more advice, please don’t hesitate to contact Zima Dental customer support at support@zimadental.ca